Help with waterer

[09northernchick]

I just removed the hardware cloth that I had in the brooder. The chicks are now two weeks old and I'm hoping they will not eat the shavings.

But now that the waterer is sitting on the floor of the brooder it is getting filled up with shavings every 5 minutes. I tried putting it up on a couple of different containers to lift it but they tipped it over and soaked the box.

It is the red bottom circular tray with the white self watering container on top.

Any tips?????

 

[Nemo]

We use 2x4s. Three short pieces laid on the floor to make a square-ish base, and the waterer on top. As the chooks get bigger, we add another layer or 2x4s perpendicular to the first.

If you have small birds, you could use pieces of 1x instead.

 

[fshinggrl]

Yep, raise the waterer up and you shouldn't have that issue anymore.

 

[Akane]

You can use the same water bottles that they use for rabbits or hamsters. I've started chicks on little hamster bottles and they will choose to drink out of that before the regular waterer. My bantams and quail aren't too bad about knocking waterers over so I just set them on bricks if I don't have a water bottle available or for the ones in the really tall brooders where bottles don't reach easily. I have some quail in a 90gallon tank that has 2' high sides. For standard chicks though they knock the waterers over by the time they are a few weeks old and I finally just gave up and only use water bottles when I hatch standards.

 

[codybird]

Set the waterer on a brick or piece of wood so that the waterer holes are about the same level as the chicks back.

Raise the waterer.

 

[Akane]

Raising it up does no good when the buggers just flatten the thing. My standards were jumping against it and trying to perch on it so that even when completely full they could knock it over on it's side no matter how wide of base I put it on or at what height.

 

[spottedtail]

- Measure the diameter of your waterer and add about 2".
- Take that measurement and cut a circular piece out of a 2x8.
- Actually cut out two pieces so you can place (or screw) one on top of another if you need the height.
- Center your waterer on the top piece and hammer 3 finishing nails partways into the wood around the waterer. This will prevent the waterer from being knocked off.

spot

 

[09northernchick]

Great ideas! I'll try some of them and see what works for us!
Thanks